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Santa Barbara County is perhaps as close as it’s ever been to getting a new jail in North County. The state has committed $56.3 million — 70 percent of the cost — through Assembly Bill 900 to build the new facility. Because of the recession, construction costs are at an all-time low. And the county already owns land on which to build the new jail.

But while Sheriff Bill Brown has come closer to getting a new jail built than any other sheriff since the 1980s, when a superior court judge first ordered a jail population capacity limit because of overcrowding issues (the jail is frequently at 125-percent capacity when it should be at 85 percent to allow for fluctuations), he still has plenty of hurdles. The jail would cost $15 million to $17 million a year to operate, and even with the generous deal with the state — which some officials are nervous won’t come through, given the state’s own fiscal woes — the county would still have to pony up the other 30 percent of the cost, $23.7 million. And the cost of this jail is significantly more expensive than the proposed facility that failed miserably in 2000 with voters, who turned down a ballot measure nearly two-to-one.

Brown presented a new ballot measure proposal of a one-half cent sales tax to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday that would need a two-thirds supermajority approval by county voters this November to pass, a tall order when a tax increase is involved. And if a January 2009 poll is any indication, Brown has his work cut out for him. In that poll, 45 percent of people said they definitely or probably would support a ballot measure to relieve jail overcrowding. After being presented with more details about the current state of jail overcrowding, including the information that many inmates are released because of overcrowding (1,500 to 1,800 a year, Brown said Tuesday), leading to potential public safety issues, that number jumped to 59 percent, with 9 percent of people saying they needed more information to make a decision. But, Brown said, “the time is now.”

His proposal Tuesday followed the recommendations of both a recent Grand Jury report and that of a Blue Ribbon Commission he convened early on in his term. (Brown was elected Sheriff in 2006.) Not only would a 10-year sales tax raise enough cash to build a new 304-bed jail, but it would also pay for annual operations. That size jail would only be feasible with the second part of the tax fund apportionment: funds for prevention, treatment, and alternative programs. A new jail facility on its own isn’t the answer, Brown said, and neither is prevention, but a combination of the two. “We can best serve the public if we can prevent crimes from happening in the first place or keep offenders from committing new crimes once they’re released from jail,” Brown said. At any one time, 38 percent of the jail’s population is admitted gang members, 18 percent is homeless people, and 80 to 85 percent have substance abuse problems. But with funding for programs like day reporting centers, work furlough, truancy, and vocational and educational training, a creative approach could keep people out of a recurring life of crime.

A third chunk of money would go toward enhanced law enforcement and fire protection services on the front lines, passed out to jurisdictions on a per capita basis.

While the supervisors were generally supportive of the need for a jail, as well as the prevention and treatment programs this measure would fund, a few expressed concern that the sheriff had brought this proposal to them so late. For it to make it on November’s ballot, the supervisors have to approve it by July 13, leaving them little time for tweaking. First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal said he’d like to see a little more of the money go to County Fire, while he and 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr suggested perhaps extending the measure out to 15 or 20 years to make sure everything was paid for.

But whatever is done, the board and Brown need to ensure the plan is something voters can get behind. Perhaps helping the cause is the anticipated sunset of a statewide one-percent sales tax set to expire when this tax would kick in July 2011. And as voters showed in 2008 with the approval of Measure A, a transportation sales tax, they are willing to step to the plate when a problem needs fixing, as most everyone can agree is the case here. But Brown will have to make his message compelling, and make sure everyone — from governmental jurisdictions to influential community groups — is behind the measure, to reach the 66-percent threshold.

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Comments

Oh come on, we don't need another jail, we need to stop arresting non-violent drug offenders. Half of the inmates in jail in this country are non-violent drug offenders. It is a complete waste of money, most of those people never hurt anybody else. Jail is for people who pose a danger to society. If you think that what they sell is dangerous, then don't buy it!! That's YOUR decision.

Stop asking government to use violent force on your behalf, let the government arrest people who steal, injur or defraud people. The government is here to uphold contracts, not to try to force some idealized society, idealized by the majority, onto the minority, by use of force. That is completely immoral.

While I don’t always think more jails are the answer (and certainly we have an over dependence on prisons) - in this instance we need the North County Jail WITH the funds for prevention, treatment and programs. Offenders do better if family can visit and funds for re-entry will be key to the overall safety of the entire county.

Already, we can't afford this. Economic hardship is the number one cause for crime. Recivitism can be close to 90%. Non violent offenders are the majority of inmates within the jail system.

Maybe the State with its $56.3 Million pledge can instead apply those funds toward domestic public health services - since so many citizens had to suddenly go without certain critical services recently.

Merely building a new jail block would strain against the economy further - wheras in Germany back in the 30's, people were said to be exterminated because the government couldn't afford to keep feeding 'em!

This instead appears to be a State Agency Union interest agenda for more job security under the Department of Corrections. Pretty gross.

While the County suddenly imposed an anti smoking policy anywhere on public property including beaches, outside county buildings, parking lots - something here smells like a liberal fascist agenda similar to the movement in Nazi Germany.

This was a number one line item agenda for the Nazi Party back in the 30's - and we have to wonder if this is where they intend to house all the smokers, then.

Expending time, attention, money and resources to emasculate a cop by assigning him to interfere with people's private lives - over something that doesn't even qualify public safety isn't a great sign, either.

The Sherriff doesn't happen to look like an intellectual in this particular photo shoot.

An incideous mind play, 'magicianry' attempts to also deflate the merits in findings, or analogy, by self-refuting methods.

This article talks loosly about recividtism.

Yet, vaguely mentions preventative measures or even how, why, what, when, where, people enter into violence, homelessness, drug trafficking - and just serves to pander while stripping the general fund and tax base from domestic public health or other forms of economic vitality.

Say, maybe we shouldn't stop with eliminating the electronic voting method - but eliminate what is quickly becoming the archaic method in patrolling the public since someone said somewhere that smart phones allow greater advantage in allowing the public to monitor against crime.

What do you think, "Godwin?"

Murphy's Law trump the Godwin's Law here and we really get sick of supporting State Agency Union interest - that does nothing but interfere with peoples lives and stifle the persuit of prosperity with their freeloader, ambitious ways !

loonpt (first post) is spot on. Not one more dime for jails because the overcrowding results from incarcerating "weed people", an incredibly senseless policy.

Consider the feel-good incentives Brown throws into the pot: "day reporting centers, work furlough, truancy, and vocational and educational training". NONE of these have anything to do with substance abuse, the #1 contributor to the jail population.

If I were the Sheriff, this would make sense to me. But these are hard hard economic times. I don't care if another tax is sunsetting. More taxes are not OK. This is the same policy approach that social services, mental health -- everyone -- thinks should happen to fund their own personal view of improved public services.

Get with it people. Figure out how to fund your projects within existing resources.

Your approach and use of taxation is driving away business and residents, folks who can no longer afford to pay.

There is no value added by jails. Sales taxes like this hit the little guy the hardest.

My speculation is based on the fact that the Board of Supervisors has known for more than 20 years that a new jail is needed.

Over that time the County's budget has ballooned from about $450 million to well over $800 million this year and that is not adding up all the capital improvement projects (e.g. this year the Board voted to, among other wasteful projects, build an expensive and elaborate Board Hearing Room in Santa Maria -- maybe it ia needed but is it a priority? and should it have been done this year of all years?).

In just the last four years the Board of Supervisors has exhausted their strategic reserve funds, leaving a bare minimum after spending a great deal of this year. Four years ago it was approaching $40 million (approximately). I think it is down to about $7.5 million in real dollars.

There is more that is the basis of my specualtion.

And yes I am only a private citizen so I am speculating.

However common sense dictates that when a public body knows full well what they ought to be taking of and ignores that need for all these years (made especially persuasive when they were rolling in cash in the good years); then to ask the public for more money is simply wrong.

I do not fault Sheriff Brown and in fact I support what he wants and needs to do.

But the fact is, I really do not think the public will support a new TAX, irregardless of the use of that new TAX.

The latter is not speculation but it is instinct that leads me to believe based on public opinion that there will not be the necessary support for a new TAX.

I really don't see it happening. At least not as a ballot measure in the November 2010 election.

Keep in mind in October or a month before the election, the Board will have to make drastic cuts because they will have to meet the impacts of a state budget that will cut into their available reserves which are not enough to meet the state budget cuts.

Do you really think the public will support a new TAX when that October quarterly report is made public? Assuming of course the County accurately the public the truth of the financial hole they are in at that time.

In 1976 I monthly and sometimes weekly investigated the South and North county jail for overcrowding. That was ordered by a Superior Court County Judge. Both jails, and especially the North county jail was overcrowded past the danger point. How the sheriff deputies keep from getting hurt or killed is a mystery to me. The North county jail is something left over from the '50s. I wonder if most commentors are older than 16. Do you even know what is happening in your county, or do you just hunt, peck and blab?

United States Code TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE PART I - CRIMES CHAPTER 17 - COINS AND CURRENCY§ 333. Mutilation of national bank obligations

?Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, orunites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill,draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national bankingassociation, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System,with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidenceof debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title orimprisoned not more than six months, or both.?